Assessment policies and academic progress: differences in performance and selection for progress

Kickert, Rob; Meeuwisse, Marieke; Arends, Lidia R.; Prinzie, Peter; Stegers‐Jager, Karen M.

doi:10.1080/02602938.2020.1845607

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Given this perspective, the absence of resit effects in the PAL task could therefore be taken to argue against the presence of resit effects in settings requiring actual learning. On the other hand, concerns about negative effects of a resit prospect in educational settings requiring actual learning have been expressed in the literature ( Al-Bayatti & Jones, 2003 ; Burr et al, 2018 ; Centre for Education Research and Policy, 2012b , 2012a ; Kickert et al, 2020 ; McManus, 1992 ; Non & Tempelaar, 2016 ; Pell et al, 2009 ; Ricketts, 2010 ; Scott, 2012 ; Yocarini et al, 2018 ), and have indeed been found in a field study by Grabe ( 1994 ; for similar findings, see Centre for Education Research and Policy, 2012b ). Therefore, the notion of resit effects in settings requiring actual study time to be allocated to learning materials should perhaps not be dismissed just yet.…”

Section: Discussion Experiments 1 Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In line with this reasoning, research has shown that students’ academic performance does indeed seem to be sensitive to differences in the specific rules making up assessment policies, possibly through motivational and self-regulatory factors ( Elikai & Schuhmann, 2010 ; Johnson & Beck, 1988 ; Kickert et al, 2018 , 2019 ). Further research has also shown that academic performance ( Kickert et al, 2020 ) and study delays ( Schmidt et al, 2021 ) might be affected by changes in resit policies specifically. Moreover, in another study it was reported that students, at least those who are impatient, tend to not exert sufficient effort to pass through the first exam and instead shift their study efforts to the resit exam ( Non & Tempelaar, 2016 ).…”

Section: Evidence For the Resit Effectmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Second Chances in Learning: Does a Resit Prospect Lower Study-Time Investments on a First Test?

Nijenkamp

Nieuwenstein

Jong

et al. 2022

Journal of Cognition

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Previous studies have shown that the prospect of a resit opportunity lowers hypothetical study-time investments for a first exam, as compared to a singlechance exam (i.e., the resit effect). The present paper describes a first experiment in which we aimed to generalize this effect from hypothetical study-time investments to a learning task allowing for the optimization of actual study-time investments while participants studied pairs of pseudowords for a subsequent multiple-choice test, given either a single chance or two chances to pass. Against our expectations, the results of the experiment showed no resit effect for the amount of actual time participants spent studying the materials in the experimental learning task. To better allow for the optimization of study-time investments, the learning task was adapted for a second experiment to include an indication of passing probability. These results, however, also did not show a resit effect. A third experiment addressed whether it was the investment of actual time that led to this absence of a resit effect with the learning task. The results suggested, however, that it was most likely the lack of a priori deliberation that caused this absence of the effect. Taken together with findings from a fourth questionnaire study showing that students seem to take a resit prospect into account by indicating they would have studied more for an exam if the option to resit would not have been available, these findings lead us to argue that a resit prospect may primarily affect advance study-time allocation decisions.

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Section: Discussion Experiments 1 Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Evidence For the Resit Effectmentioning

confidence: 99%

Second Chances in Learning: Does a Resit Prospect Lower Study-Time Investments on a First Test?

Nijenkamp

Nieuwenstein

Jong

et al. 2022

Journal of Cognition

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“…Given 2012b, 2012aKickert et al, 2020;McManus, 1992;Non & Tempelaar, 2016;Pell et al, 2009;Ricketts, 2010;Scott, 2012;Yocarini et al, 2018), and have indeed been found in a field study by Grabe (1994; for similar findings, see Centre for Education Research and Policy, 2012b), as well as in more abstract studies using the study-time investment task . Therefore, the notion of resit effects in settings requiring actual study time to be allocated to learning materials should perhaps not be dismissed just yet.…”

Section: Implications For the Resit Effectsupporting

confidence: 53%

“…In line with this reasoning, research has shown that students' academic performance does indeed seem to be sensitive to differences in the specific rules making up assessment policies, possibly through motivational and self-regulatory factors (Elikai & Schuhmann, 2010;Johnson & Beck, 1988;Kickert et al, 2018Kickert et al, , 2019. Further research has also shown that academic performance (Kickert et al, 2020) and study delays (Schmidt et al, 2021) might be affected by changes in resit policies specifically.…”

Section: Evidence For the Resit Effectmentioning

confidence: 88%

The Psychology of Resit Exams

Nijenkamp¹

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Although many educational institutions allow students to resit exams, a recently proposed mathematical model suggests that this could lead to a dramatic reduction in study-time investment, especially in rational students. In the current study, we present a modification of this model in which we included some well-justified assumptions about learning and performance on multiple-choice tests, and we tested its predictions in two experiments in which participants were asked to invest fictional study time for a fictional exam. Consistent with our model, the prospect of a resit exam was found to promote lower investments of study time for a first exam and this effect was stronger for participants scoring higher on the cognitive reflection test. We also found that the negative effect of resit exams on study-time investment was attenuated when access to the resit was made uncertain by making it probabilistic or dependent on obtaining a minimal, non-passing grade for the first attempt. Taken together, these results suggest that offering students resit exams may compromise the achievement of learning goals, and they raise the more general implication that second chances promote risky behavior.

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“…This is also a possible explanation for the fact that a previous study focusing on PAP did find more promising results with respect to predicting early academic performance, since that study did not control for pu-GPA [ 20 ]. Another possible explanation for this difference in findings is that contrary to the programs in the previous study, the medical program used selection, which can lead to higher overall academic performance [ 50 ], and potentially better prepared students. Nevertheless, as male students and students with sociodemographic minority backgrounds perform poorer in medical school [ 36 , 37 ], the lack of interaction effects between participation and these variables suggests that the preparatory activities in their current form do not contribute to reducing this performance gap.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

The added value of free preparatory activities for widening access to medical education: a multi-cohort study

et al. 2023

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Background Medical schools are reported to be less accessible to students with non-traditional backgrounds. These students face barriers when applying for and transitioning to medical school, which may be reduced by offering free preparatory activities. By equalizing access to resources, these activities are expected to reduce disparities in selection outcomes and early academic performance. In the present study, four free institutionally-provided preparatory activities were evaluated by comparing the demographic composition of participating and non-participating applicants. Additionally, the association between participation and selection outcomes and early academic performance was investigated for subgroups (based on sex, migration background and parental education). Methods Participants were applicants to a Dutch medical school in 2016-2019 (N = 3592). Free preparatory activities included Summer School (N = 595), Coaching Day (N = 1794), Pre-Academic Program (N = 217), and Junior Med School (N = 81), supplemented with data on participation in commercial coaching (N = 65). Demographic compositions of participants and non-participants were compared using chi-squared tests. Regression analyses were performed to compare selection outcomes (curriculum vitae [CV], selection test score, probability of enrolment) and early academic performance (first-course grade) between participants and non-participants of demographic subgroups, controlling for pre-university grades and participation in other activities. Results Generally, no differences in sociodemographic compositions of participants and non-participants were found, but males participated less often in Summer School and Coaching Day. Applicants with a non-Western background participated less often in commercial coaching, but the overall participation rate was low and participation had negligible effects on selection outcomes. Participation in Summer School and Coaching Day were stronger related with selection outcomes. In some cases, this association was even stronger for males and candidates with a migration background. After controlling for pre-university grades, none of the preparatory activities were positively associated with early academic performance. Conclusions Free institutionally-provided preparatory activities may contribute to student diversity in medical education, because usage was similar across sociodemographic subgroups, and participation was positively associated with selection outcomes of underrepresented and non-traditional students. However, since participation was not associated with early academic performance, adjustments to activities and/or curricula are needed to ensure inclusion and retention after selection.

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Assessment policies and academic progress: differences in performance and selection for progress

Cited by 6 publications

References 31 publications

Second Chances in Learning: Does a Resit Prospect Lower Study-Time Investments on a First Test?

Second Chances in Learning: Does a Resit Prospect Lower Study-Time Investments on a First Test?

The Psychology of Resit Exams

The added value of free preparatory activities for widening access to medical education: a multi-cohort study

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